Videos

Chris Martine has been generating educational YouTube content since 2008, most of it as part of the “Plants are Cool, Too!” (PACT) project co-produced with Paul Frederick and Tim Kramer. The first PACT episode was posted in 2011 thanks to funding from the Botanical Society of America, with subsequent episodes funded through grants and by the institutions of the scientists featured in the videos. The goal has been the same from the beginning: to put a spotlight on awesome plants and the cool people who study them. The videos have been viewed on YouTube more than 200,000 times; and PACT has been used in hundreds of classrooms (both K-12 and at colleges/universities) as well as in museums and other science-based educational settings. Interested in using them for teaching? We’ve indexed them by subject below.

Skip to Videos
  • Plants Are Cool Too! "The Pale Pitcher Plant" Episode 1: Sarracenia alata

    Plants Are Cool Too! "The Pale Pitcher Plant" Episode 1: Sarracenia alata

    How pitcher plants lure, trap, and digest insect prey… with the help of millions of mystery microbes. Focus on the habitat, life cycle, morphology and internal ecosystem of Sarracenia alata.

  • Ay, Chihuahua! New Species in the Desert!

    Ay, Chihuahua! New Species in the Desert!

    What do you get when a team of biologists from Mexico and the US sets out to explore remote areas of the Chihuahuan Desert? Lots of examples of the evolution of new species on gypsum soils — and plenty of evidence that the world is still full of things to discover. 

  • Extreme Weeds of Parking Lots

    Extreme Weeds of Parking Lots

    Plants that survive in parking lots might be considered “weeds,” but they are also really great examples of extremophiles – organisms that survive, thrive, and evolve in Earth’s toughest habitats.

  • Nature in New York City

    Nature in New York City

    The largest cities on the planet are home to millions of humans, but there is still plenty of nature to discover and appreciate in these urban habitats… if you know where to look. Shot on location at Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan.

  • Off-road Enthusiasts and Coal Land Forest Restoration

    Off-road Enthusiasts and Coal Land Forest Restoration

    Conservation takes partnership. Many off-roaders think conservationists are all “tree-huggers”… and many conservationists think off-roaders are all “tree-killers.” But somewhere in between there is a sweet spot where forests can be appreciated and cared for. In the case of the Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area (AOAA), that sweet spot might even help to reinvigorate a local economy.

  • Rappelling Scientists Find Rare Species Hiding for 100+ Years

    Rappelling Scientists Find Rare Species Hiding for 100+ Years

    A team of biologists drops off a cliff to learn more about one rare plant, but ends up discovering something completely unexpected with the help of science Twitter: white alumroot (Heuchera alba). 

  • Botany Student Protects Rare Plant with Genetics and Kayaks

    Botany Student Protects Rare Plant with Genetics and Kayaks

    Even plants we use in gardens can be rare in nature – and student Cheyenne Moore is doing her best to help protect one of the most popular perennial wildflowers in its native habitat in Pennsylvania. Join her on a kayak trip on the Allegheny River as she assesses the status of the blue false indigo (Baptisia australis) in unusual formations called scour prairies.

  • How One Aboriginal Community is Making Things Better for an Important Plant

    How One Aboriginal Community is Making Things Better for an Important Plant

    Highlights one of the most important wild food plants to the Martu people of Australia's Western Desert, Wamula (Solanum diversiflorum) -- and a research project showing how Martu traditional practices are benefitting this species and the habitats it grows in.